Gaara's Love
by Kyra Marye Date
Summary: Gaara remembers someone from his past. He also questions a door with a false warning on it that he's been forbidden to see into, even as Kazekage. When he goes against the village council and goes in, he finds something unnerving. Been asked to do more!
1. The Girl of my Memories

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Gaara remembers someone from his past. He also questions a door with a false warning on it that he's been forbidden to see into, even as Kazekage. When he goes against the village council and goes in, he finds something unnerving.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 1: The Girl of My Memories_

I remember her from when I was a child, about five or six. These boys were always playing in the park with a little rubber ball. I remember it being red. I followed the movement of it. One day, a young girl with black hair that was as long as she was tall started to play with them. She had lovely white eyes, but she must have been about four. She was a klutz and was always falling on her face. I saw her everyday and I watched her. I wasn't allowed to play with these kids because I'm a monster. I was born one. She was the only one who ever thought of me differently.

I watched her and the red ball. She threw up so high all the time. Once it got caught in the high branches of the only oak in our village. None of the kids could reach it and the black-haired klutz began crying. It was painful to see her crying and I wished that I could help her. Then, the sand that is always with me and always protects me rose up around the ball and brought it down to me.

"H-here is your b-ball," I said in a small voice, approaching the crowd. The girl stopped crying and looked at me in wonder. The other kids ran away.

"Monster! Monster! It's Gaara of the Sand!" The shouts of the kids hurt me as they ran away and I dropped the ball. I tried to leave, but the girl came towards me. She was a little shorter than I was. She picked up the ball and held it out to me.

"Pway with me?" she asked in cute voice. She smiled sweetly.

I don't rightly recall what happened afterwards. I know that I never saw her again. At least, not until after I was Kazekage.

It had been fifteen years. Naruto-kun, my first friend, was Hokage in Konoha. I hadn't seen him since the incident with the Akatsuki. He was dating Sasuke now. They sent me pictures every chance they took. Every letter that came out of Konoha to me was written by Sakura. She told me how busy Naruto was and how he was still able to pull off pranks on Sasuke's subordinates. Sasuke was a Jounin and had own Genins to look after.

As Kazekage, I had trouble with the people of my village. Everyone thought me a monster, but they never knew how much I set out for looking after them. I only stepped into fights if I felt that the Jounin couldn't handle it alone. I never underestimated them, but I think they underestimated me all the time. The council always hid things from me. They still thought of me as a monster. The biggest secret they kept from everyone, including my brother, Kankurou, and my sister, Temari, was hidden behind a locked door that had "toxic" written on the door. However, everyone I saw that walked in and out of the room never took any precautions for themselves.

"What's in that room!" I demanded from the head council member in my unnervingly calm voice.

"Nothing, Kazekage-sama," he replied.

"Don't lie to me. If you don't tell me, I'll go in there myself." A threat. The pressure would break him.

He sighed, but didn't say anything. I turned to the door. My sand crawled over to the edges, slipping inside. Once it had a good hold on the entire perimeter of it, it pulled it off, hinges included. I stepped into the room and stared, dumbstruck.


	2. Is that HIM?

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: She is found, finally. The light won't go away this time. Darkness won't consume her again. Plus, she's saved by the boy from her childhood. She finally knows his name, too… Gaara…

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 2: Is that HIM?_

The light was blinding and I could only cower back against the wall. They were back: the awful people with the whips and kunais that were dug into my skin every day. I wrapped my arms around my head and whimpered. Ever inch of my body burned and I knew I would never be able to stand again. I heard the steps of a single person grow louder as they grew closer. I winced when it stopped. I knew that more pain was going to come. However, I heard the sound of ruffling clothes and a soft thump. I looked up and saw a familiar face: the blue eyes with the dark circles and the red hair. The kanji for love was new and it was the body of a man. It was the boy. The one everyone called a monster. He was kneeling next to me. I was shocked and he looked just as shocked. His eyes shadowed over and he stood.

"Why is she in here?" the boy from my childhood asked. His voice was so calm yet strong that it chilled me. I watched him in wonder like I had when I first saw him.

"She's dangerous, Kazekage-sama," a man said who stood outside the door. I recognized his voice and it made me want to scream. I was surprised, though. The boy who was so hated by everyone was now Kazekage. I stared at him. His eyes were still shadowed over, though.

"What's going on, Gaara?" asked a female voice from outside the room. "Is she okay?"

"Temari, clear out a room in the hospital," Gaara said. "I'll bring her over myself."

I heard someone run down the hall that was next to my prison. Gaara kneeled next to me again and reached a hand towards me. I reacted without a thought. I moved away from his hand because I didn't want to be hurt anymore. He flinched and stopped moving.

"No more," I whimpered to him. "I… don't want anymore pain…" I pushed myself up to my knees, but only fell back down. I didn't hit the cold metal floor, though. Gaara caught me.

"You won't be touched by them again," he whispered to me. I felt him lift me up, but I passed out before I knew what else was happening.


	3. Konoha Trio

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Temari has called Naruto, the Sixth Hokage, to come to Suna, against the wishes of Gaara. Gaara's feelings start to show.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 3: Konoha Trio_

The girl slept during the day and stared at the door at night. When she slept on her side, her hair fell over her face. I moved it sometimes to watch her sleep. I ignored the council members because they only wanted to put her back in the room. My siblings dealt with them.

"Maybe you should ask Sakura to come look at her," Temari suggested.

I remained silent on the offer. I didn't want to bug anyone outside of the village. Of course, three days later, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura appeared in the door to the girl's room. I could only sigh at them.

"Temari wrote to us," Sakura said, sitting next to the girl and looking her over.

"Once we heard you got a girl," Naruto said, in his stupid voice, "we couldn't help but come over here and congratulate you."

I glared at Naruto, whose boyfriend hit him in the head. I looked back at the girl as Sakura finished her analysis.

"She needs lots of rest and I need to bandage all of her wounds," the medical ninja said. "It would take up too much Chakra to heal them all at once. When was the last time she was awake?"

"Before the sun came up," I replied. "She's only awake at night."

Sakura nodded. "Has she eaten anything at all?"

"I haven't seen her eat," I said, "and I really haven't left."

"We'll bring her food when we return here," Sasuke said. "We're going to go to get a room in a hotel."

"I'll bring lots of ramen," Naruto shouted. Sasuke grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him out of the room. Sakura smiled at me and followed after them.

* * *

They returned as they said they would and the girl woke up at the same time. She hid herself under the blankets. Sakura forced them away from her and threw them on the floor. The girl was terrified and she refused to listen to the other girl's words of comfort. Naruto was deep in thought, while Sasuke was just watching the girl. The girl let out a shriek as she fell off the bed. I jumped slightly to catch her, but my red sand was faster. It caught her quickly and set her back on the bed. She looked at me a little frightened, but glad. I couldn't help but smile softly. She blushed and looked away from me.

I heard Sakura giggled and I looked at her confused. "That was cute," she said.

I glared at her for a second and then turned away.

The girl let out a few shouts and gasps as her wounds were treated. She ate, but was very wary. Naruto tried to get her to talk, but she refused.

"Why don't you guys rest?" I suggested when Sakura yawned. "I'll send for you in the morning."

"Just behave yourself," Naruto joked, receiving another glare.

"Maybe you can get her to talk," Sasuke said, smirking. "We could find out where she's from just by that."

I didn't say anything and had my eyes closed. They were gone in a few minutes and I opened my eyes.

"Thank you, G-gaara." I looked at her, unfazed. She blushed a little. "I was called Saahra by the people who were hurting me."

I smiled slightly again. I didn't say anything because I'm not used to chatting, it is useless to me. Plus, she already knew my name so I had nothing more to say.

"W-where am I?" she asked, looking around.

"In a hospital room," I answered.

"What village?"

"Village of the Hidden Sand. Do you remember anything from before that room?"

"I remember the red ball and red sand," she whispered, looking down. She was fiddling with her hands in her lap. "I saw red hair, but I don't recall the red kanji."

I put a hand on the exposed side of my forehead over my scar. I had a quick flashback to the moment I got it and then sighed with closed eyes.

"What's wrong?" I heard her ask. I opened my eyes and saw her worried face.

I shook my head and stood. "You should rest some. You can't keep sleeping at night or you'll never go to a normal routine."

"I don't know normal anymore." She sighed and lay down. I picked her blanket up and put it over her. For the first time, I left the room, but didn't shut the door. I lay on the bed in the room across from hers. It was obviously empty. I didn't sleep, but I drifted off into memory.


	4. Please Don't Kill

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Gaara makes the mistake of leaving the girl alone in the room. She is attacked the Village council members themselves. Gaara stops them from hurting her, but can he stop from kill them?

Rating: M

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 4: Please Don't Kill_

I looked away from the door where he had just left. He was in a room across the hall with his door shut. I sighed and thought back to when the scary lady was there reminding me of my pain. The sand had caught me and kept me from being hurt. It wasn't harsh like in the desert. It was soft and cool. I sighed and closed my eyes.

Thump. I heard someone in the hall fall to the ground and saw Gaara's brother fall unconscious in the doorway. I sat up and took a breath to scream, but a hand covered my mouth and pulled me back. I was held down by two other people and I felt heavy breathing on my forehead. I let out a scream the best I could, but another hand griped my throat.

"You are nothing to him," the owner of the breath snapped. "You will only be locked back in that—"

All the hands that were holding me down disappeared along with the man. The dim light from the hall disappeared as something surrounded me. I couldn't hear anything anymore and I was scared. I hugged my knees and started shaking.

Lights appeared and I noticed that the thing encasing me was the red sand. It fell away completely and Gaara stood on the other side. There were five white clad men being held against the wall by more of the red sand.

Gaara had a horribly angry look in his eyes. It scared me even more. He had a hand outstretched towards the men. He squeezed it slightly and the men screamed.

"No, don't," I screamed at the Kazekage. "Don't kill them."

He froze and looked at me. His eyes held fear and pain. He lowered his hand and looked back at the five men. His eyes hardened again and I looked away. I could feel more tears coming to my eyes and I fought against them. I wiped away the tears from before and looked back up at Gaara. The hand closest to me was twitching and I could tell that he wanted to kill them. His hand raised up again.

"No, don't!" I screamed. I got off the bed and stumbled to him on weak legs. I fell against him as I wrapped my arms around his neck to stop him. "No one deserves death, no matter who they are or what they've done." I lost in the battle for crying. I felt his arm go limp. There was a soft sent on him. It was as if he had rolled in dirt for hours. He smelled of sand.

"What happened?" asked the same female voice from when Gaara found me.

"They attacked her," Gaara said in a shaky, quiet voice.

The girl gasped. "Let them go Gaara," she said after a minute. "I'll deal with them." I heard sand falling to the floor and shuffling around.

"Is Kankurou all right?" Gaara asked, not moving otherwise.

"Yeah, just out cold," the girl said, panting slightly. She must have been moving the five men out of the room. All movement stopped when she left the room. Neither Gaara nor I moved for a while until he leaned down and picked me up at the knees with one hand. My arms were still around his neck so he only had a hand on my back. He carried me to the bed and laid me on it. He covered me up after I let go of his neck.

"You're still weak," he said. "Rest." He went to the corner of the room and stood there, watching me. I smiled at him.


	5. My Smile

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Gaara smiles. It freaks out Naruto. Sakura suggests shopping.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 5: My Smile_

She looked more peaceful than before. Saahra. After fifteen years, I finally knew her name. She was beautiful though she was wounded. I watched her sleep throughout the night with a smile on her face. I smiled slightly whenever she faced towards me.

Morning came and brought the Konoha three to the room. Saahra woke up as they entered and looked frightened.

"We just heard what happened," Sasuke said.

"Is she okay?" Sakura asked, looking at Saahra with worry in her eyes. "She doesn't look hurt."

I only nodded.

"Some council," Naruto said. "I think it's time you had a new one appointed."

"It's not that simple, Naruto," Sasuke said. "They've been there for a while. For Gaara to just dispose of them, he could have a rebellion."

Both of them were right. Replacing the council members, would help only one person. Keeping the staff as is, would keep a war from beginning. The best thing to do for both things would be to put Saahra under my personal protection. The red sand already came to her aid as well as mine. I looked over at her. She was sitting up and holding the blanket to her chin. She was nervous around all the people.

"I'll take her into my personal care," I told Naruto, who gave me a goofy looking grin.

"You like her," he shouted.

Saahra blushed and I glared at the Kuuybi carrier. I couldn't tell him he was wrong though. He was the first person who cared about me and taught me to love others. I owed him a lot. Lying to him would have been fruitless. I closed my eyes on the room. I was glad then that I didn't have the ability to blush. I saw Saahra's sleeping face in my eyelids and smiled slightly.

"Ah!" I opened my eyes and saw Naruto pointing his finger at me with a scared look on his face. "Y-you're…"

"I'm what?" I asked, a little irritated.

"Y-you're sm-sm-smiling! Not the I'm-gonna-kill-you smile! It's a I'm-thinking-about-something-that-makes-me-happy smile!"

Sasuke, who always stood behind his lover, hit him on the head. "You're being annoying and he's dangerous. Let's keep him as a friend, please." A whole argument ensued.

I chuckled in my head. Watching them, I always felt a little jealous. One day, I want someone like that to love me and for me to love. I looked over at Saahra. She was more relaxed now and was talking with Sakura. She had a slight blush on her face and, for some reason; I couldn't hear anything that was said. I closed my eyes again, but restrained my smile. Naruto was a bit freaky right now.

I had a random flashback to when I fought Sasuke and Naruto. Before I met them, No one had ever wound me. Sasuke did it with the Chidori, a lightning attack of most of his Chakra in the palm of his hand. Naruto summoned a frog and pretty much beat me altogether. I remembered that Naruto let me feel like I was loved by anyone. He told me that I wasn't a monster. My flashback went further back in time to when I first met Saahra. She was the first person to treat me like a human. If I had seen her more often, I would have been a different person.

"Hey, Gaara." Sakura was standing in front of me when I opened my eyes.

_When was she able to sneak up on me,_ I asked myself.

"Saahra's still weak, but she needs clothes," the healer said. "You won't mind coming with us?" Over Sakura's shoulders I saw Naruto trying to tell me no. I knew that shopping with women was a bad idea, but I had more patient than the prankster. Plus, I wasn't going to leave Saahra.

I nodded in response and received a smile from both of the girls.


	6. Why'd He Hug Me?

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Sakura, Saahra, and Gaara go shopping. Saahra sees all the looks that are given to Gaara because of who she is. She feels for him and he finally shows emotions for someone.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 6: Why'd He Hug Me?_

Sakura-san walked close to me to make sure I didn't fall. Gaara walked behind us, his eyes closed. I stumbled frequently, but my companion always stabled me with a strong hand on my shoulder. We walked by many fabulous stores that had delicious smells. As we walked, everyone looked at us funny. I might as well have been an alien with three heads with the way they were looking at me. Some glared harshly at Gaara and some showed him high respect. I didn't like the former.

We went to a clothing store and Sakura-san started browsing. I stood next to Gaara because I felt really nervous in the store.

"Is it normal?" I asked Gaara in a low voice.

"Excuse me?" he asked, looking at me. His eyes were slightly wide in confusion, but his face was calm.

"Am I supposed to be nervous about getting clothes?" I asked, looking away. There's something about this place. Everyone looked at me weird and they were looking even weirder at you. I hated the looks. No one's even in here and I feel trapped."

Gaara sighed. "Don't worry about the way people look at me," he said. "How were they looking at you?"

"Like I was… out of place," I said. "I can't really describe it." I hugged myself, wanting to shrink away from everyone. I shook a little. I smelled sand and then felt warm arms around me. I opened my eyes and saw Gaara standing in front of me with his arms behind my back. Our eyes met for a minute, but I looked away quickly. My face was warm and I felt more comfortable. He moved away quickly and turned his back to me.

"I'll wait outside for you two," he said. "Call my name if something happens." He left.

I smiled to myself and played with my bottom lip.

"What's with that face?" Sakura-san asked, coming up with clothes in her hands. She was grinning at me.

My face grew warmer. "Gaara's waiting for us outside," I replied, trying to avoid talking about the hug.

She nodded. "You should try these on," she said. "Maybe you could shock Gaara."

I blinked. _Does she know what happened?_ I asked myself.

She giggled and pulled me behind a current into a small room. I took off my tattered clothes and changed into many outfits. I left in a black long-sleeved shirt, black mini-skirt, and black ninja sandles. Sakura-san held the bag with the four other outfits she bought.

Gaara was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Sakura-san cleared her throat and he looked at us. He just kind of stared at me, making my face become hotter than it was before.

"Let's get back to the hospital," Sakura-san said. "We should try to find her a room in the village."

"No, she'll be staying with me," Gaara said, looking away from me. "I'll have a room made close to mine."

Sakura-san nodded. "Let's go get Sasuke-kun and Naruto before they end up having sex in that room." She giggled and pulled me back towards the hospital.

Sasuke and Naruto weren't even in the room. Sakura-san was a little mad. I was checked out of the hospital afterwards and taken to another building. I was large and shaped oddly.

"Can I trust you, Gaara?" Sakura-san said, smiling at him.

He glared at her. "What are you implying?"

"Can I trust you alone with this girl?"

He closed his eyes, but didn't answer. I blinked and looked between the two. Sakura-san gave me the bag and ran off into the village. I watched her back for a minute.

"Let's go," Gaara said. I turned to him, but he was already walking away. I ran up so I was walking next to him. He walked with his eyes closed like he had before. I watched him, wondering how he knew were he was going. We turned a corner and I bumped into someone. I fell back, but Gaara's sand caught me so I was able to stay on my feet.

"What the hell is your problem!" It was the man I bumped into. He was furious.

"She's with me," Gaara said calmly. The man looked at him and flinched.

"I…didn't see you there, Kazekage-sama," the man said. He turned back to me and bowed. "I'm sorry." He ran past me.

I looked at Gaara. "Why did he act like that?" I asked.

"Temari is in a courtyard up ahead," he said. "She'll help you get situated in your room." He started walking away.

I blinked and followed him. _He didn't answer my question,_ I thought.


	7. I've Fallen in Love

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Saahra has her room set up next to Gaara's. She joins him in his because she's afraid he might be lonely. More emotions from Gaara.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 7: I've Fallen in Love_

Saahra was set up in her room. I sat in mine and listened to the conversation between my sister and the girl.

"I don't know what you've done to him," Temari was saying, "but I've never seen him like this before. What is he to you?"

"Uh… He's… er… I met him when we were little." That was all she could say?

When I thought about it, I didn't even know the answer to the question. _What is she to me?_ I asked myself. _I have done things for her that I normally wouldn't even do for Temari or Kankurou._ I thought about it while the two continued to talk.

Temari's voice was strong and unwavering it. It had always been. She was afraid of me, but when I needed control, she would falter. Saahra was very nervous and her voice was small. She made a lot of little noises when she went to talk. I had to admit that it was a little cute.

"When did you get locked in that room?" my sister asked.

"Uh… N-not long after I met Gaara," she replied in a small voice. "Actually, I…" She made another noise that I didn't recognize. "I was taken… right when I went to… hm… play with him."

I saw the image of her in front of me, handing me the red ball. (look up) I realized what she meant. She was the first person to see me as a human. I smiled to myself and remembered my uncle's words.

"I'll let Gaara know you're settled," Temari said. Her voice was by the door. "He's right next door if you need anything." I heard the door open and close. There was no movement. It worried me a little, but Saahra was still weak.

The door opened and closed again. I tried to think of where she might be going. There was a soft knock my door. I stood up and answered the door.

"Hi…" she said. She was smiling slightly and her face was pink.

I blinked, unsure why she looked like that. It was kind of cute. "Yes?"

"The room is… lonely," she whispered. "I thought you might be lonely, too." She didn't speak with all of her noises.

I understood what she was saying. I thought that I was alone before, but Saahra had been locked in a room for years with only pain. She was physically living in my emotional hell. I stood aside for her to enter.

She stepped in and looked around. "Your room is so dark," she whispered. "There's no futon. Do you not sleep?"

I closed the door and went to the curtains. I rose one up, letting light in. "No," I said. I didn't really want to get into why I didn't. I looked out the window. The view was of half of the village.

Saahra stood beside me and looked out, too. I glanced at her through the corner of my eye. Her eyes were sad and lonely. I could tell that they could never hold anger or hate towards anyone. She was so fragile just by the look of her. I looked back out the window.

"What's so different about you?" she asked. "Why do people look at you the way you do?"

"I'm a monster," I whispered, turning away from the window and her. "That's all you need to know."

"You're not a monster," she said, unmoving. "You have the same expressions and feelings as everyone else. What makes you think you're a monster?"

"I have the badger demon inside of me," I said. "She controls the sand. If I sleep, she will take control of my body and kill everyone, even you."

"That doesn't make you a monster," she whispered. Her voice was shaking. "It makes you a protector. You stay awake to protect the people around you and yourself." She choked on her last word and I heard her fall to her knees.

I turned my head to look at her. She was hugging herself like she had earlier and her whole body was shaking. Naruto was the only person to have cried for me before because we knew the same thing. He also had a monster inside of him. I turned around and moved so I stood between her and the window. I kneeled down in front of her. She looked at me and I saw her face was soaked with tears. There was a pang in my chest. I reached a hand up and put it on her cheek.

"I don't need someone to cry over me," I told her. "I did that enough already." I wiped her cheek clean.

"But you've been so nice to me," she cried. "You saved me. How can people fear you?"

"I wasn't always like this," I told her. "Before I set my mind to kill anyone who challenged me. If I was the same, I wouldn't have found you." I suddenly heard my heart beat loudly and the pain I felt from her tears went away. "I wouldn't… have fallen in love with you." _What?_


	8. Poison

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Saahra passes out after Gaara's confession. He immediately starts blaming himself and locking himself away from her.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 8: Poison_

I froze, unable to move. _Did he just say that?_ I asked myself. I didn't know what to do. His eyes were confident, but he looked a little confused. I was dizzy and it felt as if I had awoken from a dream. "Wh-what?"

He blinked and didn't reply for a minute. He must have been shocked. "I… love you," he said. It sounded more like a question.

The dizziness came on heavier and I swayed. The room was spinning. I didn't know which was up. I fell limp, but never hit the ground.

"Saahra." It was only a whisper in my ear. It was Gaara's voice and he was holding me steady. "Saahra, are you alright?"

There was a sharp pain in my neck and I winced. I passed out soon after.

* * *

"She's awake." I opened my eyes to see Sakura-san looking over me. "The affects of the poison must be wearing off."

I looked around. The tall black-haired man, the blonde-haired man, and Gaara's siblings were the only people in the room. I didn't see Gaara at all. I sat up, thinking he might have been at the door, which I couldn't see. "Where's Gaara?" I asked when I didn't see him.

"He's next door," Temari said.

"You should lie down," Sakura-san said. "The poison isn't completely gone yet."

_Why did this have to happen?_ I asked. _I didn't get to respond to him._ I got up and ran out of the room. I stopped in front of Gaara's door and knocked.

"Who is it?" His voice was strong, as always, except for a soft sad note.

"It's me," I said, hoping he'd recognize my voice. "Let me in."

Sakura-san came out of my room and walked up to me. "You need to lay down," she said. "You're still weak."

"I'm fine," I insisted. "Gaara. Please."

The door opened and Gaara stood there. His eyes looked so sad. I flung my arms around his neck. He didn't move, like when I stopped him from killing. I moved my head up so my breath was on his cheek.

"I… love you, too," I whispered so only he could hear it.

I moved away and Sakura-san led me back to my room. I didn't hear anything she said. I had caught a glance of Gaara's face. His eyes were wide and he watched me. I smiled at him before going into my room.

Sakura-san made me sit on the bed and had me drink water. I didn't oppose to her because my thoughts were on Gaara. I didn't notice when everyone left me alone until I heard three soft voices from Gaara's room.

"What's wrong with you?" Temari's voice asked.

There was no response. I got off the bed and went to the wall that was between the rooms. I kneeled down next to it and put a hand on the paper wall. I felt something warm.

"She was worried about you," Gaara's brother said. "She didn't even ask what happened to her."

"We have to deal with the council," Temari said. "Either that, or try and figure out why they want this girl dead."

"We'll figure things out from them," the brother said again. "You go talk to her."

"Do whatever you want?" Gaara said from the spot near me. The only thing that separated us was a wall. His voice was harsh and dark. It wasn't like him.

"Gaara," I whispered, tears falling down my cheeks. _Before I set my mind to kill anyone who challenged me._ I leaned against the wall completely and cried. "Don't go back to that person. Please…" I didn't speak loud enough for him to hear me.


	9. I'm Going to End This

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Saahra is attacked again and it looks like she did herself. Gaara nearly cracks at the site and is afraid of losing her, but he comes to a resolution as Sakura heals her.

Rating: M

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 9: I'm Going To End This_

"Don't go back to that person. Please…" It was right in my ear as if she was right next to me, crying. I heard her crying, too.

I hadn't been able to protect her. I was Kazekage. I should have been able to stop the dart from hitting her, but I was so… entranced by her eyes. Kankurou had already left, along with Temari, to find out why the council wanted Saahra dead. She didn't even think it was his fault. I ground my teeth together.

"I'm sorry, Saahra," I whispered so she could hear me. "I need to protect you longer and to do so; I need to get the people who are hurting you." Her crying worsened into sobs and I heard a slight thump. I was worried for a minute that she had passed out, but I could still hear her sobbing. _Maybe, I'm the one hurting her,_ I thought.

I stood up and left the room. I considered going to my office to get work done for the village. I knocked on Saahra's door, instead. No one moved within. I opened the door and froze. Saahra was by the wall, curled up on the floor. There was a kunai in one of her hands and a large cut on her arm. Her blood was flowing onto the floor. I ran to her and kneeled down.

"Saahra?" I took the kunai from her and picked her up. "Saahra what happened? Where did you get this kunai?"

She looked up at me. "I didn't… I didn't know… what a monster was," she whispered. _No, she can't hat me now,_ I thought. "I still don't think you're one." Her eyes closed.

"Saahra, don't sleep," I pleaded. _Don't die._ I put pressure on her wrist. "Please, wake up." I didn't notice that I was crying. I held her close.

I heard the door open, but I didn't move.

"Gaara!" It was Sakura. Naruto and Sasuke were probably behind her. The pink-haired girl kneeled in front of me. "Gaara, what happened?"

I didn't look at her. I kept my eyes on Saahra's face. "I couldn't protect you again," I whispered to her. "I ended up being the one hurting you."

"Gaara," Sakura whispered. "Let her go, I need to help her. She's still alive."

I let go of her wrist and it fell limp. Sakura's hand was glowing white. She put it to Saahra's wrist and the wound healed.

"She's lost a lot of blood, Gaara," Sakura told me gently. "She just needs to rest and eat. She's fine. We just can't leave her alone again."

I couldn't say anything. I watched her sleeping. I couldn't save her. I couldn't protect her from the people under my control. I picked her up and laid her on the bed. I covered her up and held her hand. I leaned over her. I could feel three pairs of eyes on me. Something needed to be done with those against her. I noticed my face was wet and wiped it clean.

"I have to do something, Saahra," I whispered to her. "I can't stand by and watch you keep getting hurt. I'll protect you forever." I kissed her forehead and stood up straight. I still had the kunai in my hand. I threw it at where the open door was.

"Hey, don't try to kill us." Kankurou and Temari had returned. I turned and saw them both standing in the door. Kankurou had caught the kunai. "We've learned their next plan of action."

"Good," I said. "Call them into the council room. Make it an emergency meeting. You'll know what's going on when I get there."

They nodded, simultaneously, and moved so fast that they seemed to disappear.

I looked at three from Konoha. "Sasuke, Sakura, watch Saahra carefully. Naruto as Hokage accompany me to the meeting. It'll look like an update meeting for a while and then we can bring up this situation. Don't let anyone in here, Sasuke. Not until I come back." I walked out of the room and down the hall. Naruto ran to catch up with me.


	10. Human vs Monster

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Naruto watches Gaara as he takes control over the situation. He sees more similarities between himself and Gaara. He is happy for his companion.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 10: Human vs. Monster_

I had never seen Gaara so set on someone like he was. He had complete control of the council and he didn't once talk about Saahra until the members thought that the meeting was over. I was very impressed. Maybe it was that he really did have feelings for that girl. We just learned that her name was Saahra. Gaara must have known, but had forgotten to mention it. Well, anyway, Gaara and I updated each other on our villages. It had to be done, still. When we were done, the pleasantries were put aside. Gaara stood as if the meeting was over and I stood with him. Temari and Kankurou stood at the door so that no one would leave.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama, for coming out here," one of the council members said, assuming the meeting was over. "We really appreciate it."

"He didn't come here just for an update," Gaara said.

I nodded, knowing he was right. "I was asked here," I said.

The people sitting at the round table blinked at me. "What's this about, Kazekage-sama?" asked another member.

"The girl that you locked in that room." My counterpart looked as serious as he used to. It was almost as if he wanted to kill every member in that room except his old teacher, who was the only person to be surprised.

"She's dangerous, Kazekage-sama," yet another member said. "She could destroy the whole village. She's a monster."

_Monster!_ It made both of us angry. They had no right calling anyone a monster anymore. "If anyone here is a monster, it's you for harming that defenseless girl," I snarled.

Everyone stood and stepped back from the table. The one that stood as leader for the council ran towards the door. Temari knocked him back.

"You will leave her alone," Gaara said, glaring harshly at them. "If you don't, I'll remove anyone who harms her from this country."

"Don't think running to the Fire Country will do you any good, either," I said. "I will not tolerate anyone who has done such acts."

"We'll do anything, Kazekage-sama," the second guy to speak shouted, "just don't kill us!"

Gaara and I exchanged a single look. We were so much alike that we knew what the other was thinking. We walked to the door and exited. Temari and Kankurou followed us. We stopped outside Saahra's room.

"What was their next move?" Gaara asked with his back to his siblings.

"They were going to kidnap her," Temari said, "and take her somewhere else so you couldn't find her. They were going to do what they were doing to her before, but they were going to make sure to kill her this time."

I clenched my fists. "What did she do to get their attention?" I asked.

Temari looked down sadly. "She wanted to be friends with Gaara," she whispered. "She was the first person to see him…" She stopped herself.

"She was the first person to see me as human," Gaara finished and went into the room. His brother and sister followed, but I remained in the hall.

_Saahra and Sasuke are very similar,_ I thought. _They both fell in love with monsters. Sasuke wasn't the first person to see me as human, but he was the first person to love me because I'm human._ While I was in thought, Sasuke came out of the room. I knew he was there, but I didn't speak to him or look at him. He came up to me and hugged me.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" he asked. I must have looked angry or sad.

"Gaara is my equal," I said. "We've both found someone to love us for who we are, but not what we are." I smiled at him. "I'm happy for him."

"Did he talk to the council about her?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I said. "We should probably stay for a few more days, though. At least until things settle. Man, did he scare them out of their minds, though."

"I hope you didn't do anything," my boyfriend said, jokingly. "He has much more self-control than you do."

"Not true!" I yelled, offended. "We were both angry at them! They called her a monster! They said she was dangerous! I don't see how!"

"They've pretty much lowered her to the state she's in," he said, becoming serious again. "She can't even protect herself. She's afraid of little things. She must have jumped about a hundred times from just noises in the hall and outside. She's not even awake yet."


	11. Love

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Saahra has a flashback before she fully awakens. She is afraid that Gaara didn't really say everything he meant. There's always a first for everything.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 11: Love_

I opened my eyes and saw the ceiling. For a second, I thought that I was back in the small room where I was beaten every day. I looked around and saw that there were a lot of people in the room. My memory failed me for a minute. I saw Gaara first and smiled at him. I looked around again and recognized Sakura-san, Temari, and Gaara's brother.

"How…" I was about to ask what had happened, but I remembered. A man came into my room while I was leaning against the wall, crying. He cut my wrist and gave me a knife. He told me that Gaara didn't care about me and he was using me. I didn't know whether to believe him or not. I looked at Gaara. My chest burned, making my eyes water.

"You're safe now," he whispered to me. He put a hand on my cheek. I heard the other people in the room exit.

"Is it true?" I asked.

He blinked. "Is what true?" he asked, confused.

"Do you really not care about me? Do you really love me? Are you really using me? I don't want what he said to be true. It hurts enough that you were pushing me away before. It really hurts." I closed my eyes and let tears squeeze out. The man's voice rang in my ears.

"Where does it hurt, Saahra?" Gaara asked me in a very soft voice. "I only know how to heal one type of wound."

I opened my eyes. _Does he really think he can help? I don't know what to believe, though. That man… he seemed so sure… But I want to trust him._ I put a hand on my chest. "Here," I whispered.

He leaned over me and kissed my lips gently. My whole face was hot and I didn't know what to do. He looked into my eyes with his face a few centimeters away from mine. The pain my chest was gone. I knew then that the man who hurt my wrist was lying. Gaara did care about me. He did love me.

"Saahra, I don't know what happened," he whispered to me, not moving. "I wish I had been able to protect you from whatever did this to you. I don't want to see you hurting ever again. You're the first person to ever love me or to ever think of me as human. You're very important to me because of that. I love you."

I smiled, still crying, but because I was happy. "He told me you didn't care," I whispered. "He was lying. You do care." I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I love you, too."

He kissed me again and I returned it.


	12. Goodbye and a Ring

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura go home. They picked out something for Gaara to give to Saahra.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 12: Goodbye and a Ring_

I knew my sleeping patterns would never change, but it was much more comfortable at night, knowing she was safe. I hadn't left her room in a few days. She had allowed me to stay in her room while she slept. The days hadn't been very eventful as they had before. She followed me around as I went about my daily duties. She was very cute in everything she did and got very nervous around a bunch of people. She clung to my arm whenever we saw a council member in the hall.

Almost everything she did, made me smile. I hadn't smiled that much since Yashamaru had first told me about love. I understood exactly what he meant now. I also laughed a few times, but I scared a few people when I did it in public. Saahra never asked anything of me, even though she could have.

Naruto and his two friends stayed for another week. Sakura-san was very helpful in getting Saahra set up in her daily life. Sasuke and Naruto taught her a few things to protect herself. The girl I love was also able to heal minor cuts. However, her body never completely healed so she was weak. She couldn't produce enough Chakra to perform a successful transformation.

I was standing by the window in Saahra's room at dawn the day the Hokage and his friends were leaving. Saahra was still asleep in her bed. The sunrise was beautiful. I had thought of waking her up to watch it with me, but she had fallen asleep late the night before. She was starting to pick up my sleeping habits and it scared me a little. I turned from the window and looked at the bed. She was so peaceful while she slept.

"Gaara," she whispered in her sleep. She held her hand out towards me, but then it fell limp over the side. I went to her and took her hand. It was cold. Her body temperature was always that way. She was always sensitive to the cold, too. I put a hand on her forehead and smiled at her. A smile crossed her face and she moved closer to me.

I didn't move for a while, longer than I thought. There was a knock on the door and I looked around. The sun had been up for a few hours. I let go of Saahra's hand and answered the door. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were standing there.

"Hey," Naruto said a little loudly. "We came by to say goodbye to you two. I hope you don't mind."

I gritted my teeth. "Saahra's still asleep, idiot," I hissed.

"Oh," Sakura said. "Well, we have something for you to give her." She pulled out a small box and handed it to me. "You can just say it's from you. We picked it out yesterday."

"I don't know if I can trust the opinion of two gay men and a woman," I said, smiling slightly.

"Who said you can't trust women!" Sakura demanded softly.

"Ask Shikamaru that," I said and laughed slightly. (A/N: He knows Shikamaru from any messages between the two villages.)

They blinked at me. "He… laughs and jokes, too?" Naruto asked. He jumped behind Sasuke. "Sasuke, Gaara's scaring me!"

I opened it and saw a thin ring. It was gold. "Thanks," I said. "You sure you don't want to wait until she wakes up?"

"We got an urgent message from the village," Sasuke said. "Tsunade needs Naruto back to work on it."

I nodded. "Thank you for everything," I said. "I really appreciate it."

They all smiled at me and welcomed me. A few minutes later, they left. I closed the door and looked at the ring. I put it in my pocket when I heard Saahra yawn. I turned to her with a smile on my face.

"Morning," I said. "Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura say goodbye."

"Aw, they left already?" she asked, sitting up. She looked a little sad. "I hoped they could stay longer."

"They'll come back to visit," I said. "If they don't soon, we'll go visit them." I went to the bed and sat next to her. She gave me a cute smile and moved closer to me. I held her close, playing with her hair. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded. "I kept seeing you in my dreams," she said. "It was weird." She nuzzled her head against my chest.

I rested my head on hers. "I'm sure it was," I whispered. I pulled her onto my lap so that I could hold her closer.

She looked up at me and smiled. I leaned down and kissed her gently. She returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck. I tightened my arms around her waist. She winced and pulled away.

"What's in your pocket?" she asked.

I remembered the ring and pulled it out of my pocket. I handed it to her. "It's something for you," I said.

She was a little confused. She opened it and saw the ring. She grinned and pushed me on my back from her hug. "Thank you!" she cried. "It's beautiful."

I laughed. "You're welcome," I said. I held her close to me, my eyes closed and smiling. _It's always the little things that make you happy,_ I thought. _I never thought that I could bring someone this much happiness._


	13. Who and What is Saahra?

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: A year later and the truth about Saahra is finally known. Saahra, Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou travel to Konoha. Gaara learns about who and what Saahra is. This was only written after some asked that I continue it. I'm probably not going to go much further, though. It'll just stretch out.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 13: Who and What is Saahra?_

It had been a year since I found Saahra in that room. She had grown stronger, but her whole body was scarred still. The council members had behaved themselves so Saahra, my siblings, and I were on our way to Konoha for a visit. Saahra walked in front of me, backwards, and was talking with me. Before we rested for lunch, she twisted her ankle and fell. I carried her the rest of the way. We were welcomed into Konoha and Naruto met us at the gate. Sakura treated Saahra's ankle.

"You probably know that this isn't a good time for us," Naruto said after all the pleasantries had been exchanged. "We need to talk in private. Would you mind if Saahra, Temari, and Kankurou stayed at the Hyuuga estate?" Saahra jumped at the name.

"Actually, while I'm here I would prefer if I kept her in sight as much as possible. It wouldn't hurt to at least have her in the room with us."

My blonde counterpart thought for a moment. "Fine," he said. "We'll cast a jutsu on her so she can't hear."

Saahra had been talking with Sakura. She came over to me and hugged my arm, smiling at me. I smiled back.

"How are you, Saahra?" Naruto asked.

She blushed a little, becoming nervous. "Uh… I-I'm fine," she said in a soft voice.

He grinned and turned to Temari and Kankurou. "You will be staying with the Hyuuga's," he said. I assumed I was included in staying there. "You can go there now. I'll send for you if you are needed. Gaara and Saahra will accompany me for now." Naruto turned and led Saahra and I to his office. Tsunade, the blonde Fifth Hokage, was there waiting for us.

"I thought it would just be between the three of us," Tsunade said angrily.

"Calm down, Tsunade-baa-chan," Naruto said. "Gaara won't let Saahra out of his sight."

The Fifth Hokage sighed. "Fine," she said. An illusionary technique was used on Saahra so she couldn't hear us speaking. It freaked her out for a little bit. "It just so happens that she is our topic of discussion. I looked up on her inn my free time over the last year. It turns out that she is a part of the strongest clan in Konoha, the Hyuuga clan."

"Is that why you have us staying there?" I asked.

Tsunade nodded. "Not only that, but she's illegitimate according to their rules. That's why she was in your village."

Naruto watched me for a reaction, but looked confused when I didn't have one. "We're actually worried that she'll be remembered, but they'll have no choice but to house her," the blonde Hokage said.

"There's another issue," Tsunade said.

"You know you are the One-Tail and I the Nine-Tail? Well, she is the Three-Tail. It was the other reason she was exiled from Konoha. They didn't need another monster in the village, I guess."

"They didn't need another one in ours, either," I said. "They locked her in a room and beat her for years. They were more afraid of her than of me."

Saahra had begun looking around the room at the books on the bookshelves. She wasn't trying to read our lips. She picked up a book and looked at it upside-down. I knew then that she had never learned to read. I looked back at my two equals.

"She doesn't know what she is and it's probably best she never know," Tsunade said.

"That's where we disagree," Naruto said. "I didn't know what I was until I was twelve. I should have been told as soon as I could understand because it would've made thinks easier."

"What do you think?" the female Sannin asked.

"I will tell her," I said, agreeing with Naruto. "She barely knows who she is. She has every right to know."


	14. The Hyuuga's

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Saahra finds out who she is, but not what. She is staying with the Hyuuga's and already they seem to hate her. The only one that doesn't is the boy who seems to be the head of the family.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 14: The Hyuuga's_

I was able to hear them again after a while. I had tried to look at the books, but the drawings were too obscure. I put the book back and turned to them. Gaara gave me a small smirk while the blonde woman and Naruto looked at me. I blushed slightly and smiled back.

"You two can go now," the blonde woman said. "Naruto and I have some other business to attend to."

"When would you like me back?" Gaara asked, waving me to him. I obeyed and stood behind him. I put my hand on his arm and gripped at his sleeve. I always felt safest when I could touch him. He didn't move.

"Tomorrow is fine," Naruto said after a brief glance with the woman. He grinned. "Have fun." He winked at me and I hid behind Gaara's arm. He was so weird sometimes that it freaked me out. I noticed Gaara smile at me over his shoulder.

"Bye," the Kazekage said before leading me out.

He took me around the town for the remainder of day. There was a small festival going on and he bought me dinner. It was fun and he smiled at me a lot. We walked to the place we were staying, hand-in-hand. He stopped us at the door and we just stood there for a minute.

I looked at him concerned. "Is something wrong?" I asked.

He turned to me and kissed me gently for a minute. "Whatever happens inside," he whispered, "do not leave my side. When we get to a room, I'll explain everything to you." I was confused, but I smiled. He opened the door. Inside, Temari, Kankurou, Sakura-san, and Sasuke sat at a low table.

A man entered the room. He was elder and had white eyes without pupils. They looked familiar. "We will not allow her to stay here," he said, pointing a finger at me. "She is not welcome."

I blinked and looked at Gaara. "W-what's going on?" I asked in a small voice. He was scary.

"Leave immediately," the old man demanded. He pulled out a kunai and pointed it at me when no one moved. "Go!"

I moved behind Gaara, who held his hand out protectively. The four at the table stood up. I heard Gaara give off a small growl.

"Hyuuga-san," Sakura-san said. "She is with Kazekage-sama and his siblings. She is staying in this house under the rulings of both the Godaime and the Rokudaime."

"The Rokudaime has put his nose enough in this house," the old man cried. "I will not have her!" He threw the knife towards me. Gaara's sand blocked it from me.

A boy, not much older than Gaara, came into the room. He had the same eyes as the old man, but he had a Konoha ninja headband on. "Enough of this, grandfather," he said in a raised voice. "She is welcome whether you like it or not."

"Gaara," I whispered, "can we stay somewhere else?" The atmosphere was cold and directed at me. I wanted to get out. I didn't want to leave Sakura-san and Temari sitting there alone, but I didn't want to stay with the old man, either. The pupil-less family was familiar, but creepy.

He turned around and held me. "I'm sorry, Saahra," he whispered into my ear. "I was hoping that they wouldn't react to you. You are a part of their family. This is what Naruto and Tsunade wished to speak with me about. I was going to tell you when we got some privacy, but it seems things have come out faster than that." He kissed my cheek.

I rested my head on his shoulder, not wanting to move. "Don't say you're sorry," I told him softly. "You didn't know this was going to happen." I nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck.

"Do they do that all the time?" I heard Sasuke ask over Gaara's shoulder. I looked at him. He had his eyes closed and wasn't even looking at us. He looked a little annoyed.

Temari nodded from across from him. "Saahra's voice tends to be very quiet," she said, but she smiled at me in her family's creepy way. "You pretty much have to get her to talk in your ear to hear her sometimes. The good thing is that she doesn't raise her voice at all."

"Why don't we eat?" the Hyuuga boy said. "Then, I'll show you two to your rooms."

Gaara turned so he stood next to me, but his arm still behind my back. We removed our shoes and sat at the table.


	15. The ThreeTail

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Saahra feels hated and she learns what she is. This doesn't change the way she acts. She still wants to get closer to Gaara, even in her sleep.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

* * *

_Chapter 15: The Three-Tail_

The room Saahra had was small. She was very uncomfortable in it. Luckily, my room was right next door. There was a sliding door that combined the two rooms.

"I would have given her a bigger room," Neji said, "but these are the only two rooms that are combined and not used." Hyuuga Neji was a Jounin of Konoha. He was the best user of Byakugan, the white eyes, that was the trait of the Hyuuga clan. He was a close friend of Naruto's. Though, I didn't know much about him.

I nodded. "It'll be fine," I said. "Thank you." We bowed to each other before he left. I turned back to Saahra. She was at the door between our rooms. It wasn't open. She had a hand on the paper and she looked sad.

"They all hate me," she said softly and sadly. "They think I'm a monster."

I sighed and went up behind her. I wrapped my arms around her, trying to take away her sadness. _I don't have to tell you,_ I thought. _You don't have to know what you are. You know who you are now. Please, tell me that's good enough. I don't want to see you hurt anymore._ I moved her hair off her neck and kissed behind her ear.

She leaned back against me, her hand falling limp. "Am I a monster?" she asked. "Did I hurt someone in the past? Am I just like the monsters that hurt me?"

"You're nothing like them," I told her, probably a little too sharply. I pulled her tighter. "You are like me. You have a demon inside of you that seems to be dormant."

She started shaking. "I did hurt people," she said, bowing her head.

I held her tighter. She was so sad about it and I was afraid for her. I rested my chin on her shoulder, not letting her go. "You've never hurt me," I tried to reassure her.

She turned around in my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck. She was still shaking, though. I picked her up slightly so she stood on tip-toes. We faced each other and looked into each others eyes for a long time.

"You should sleep," I whispered to her. "You shouldn't pick up my sleeping habits."

She blinked and stared at me for a minute. "You don't sleep," she said, a little confused.

"I know," I said. "I just meant that you should sleep even though I don't. It's not good for your body or mind."

"What about you?" she asked. "If it isn't good for your body or mind, then why do you not sleep?"

"For me, it's more dangerous for me to sleep," I said. "I told you before. The demon inside of me would awaken if I slept."

She didn't move for a while. When she did, she leaned up and kissed me. I returned the kiss, gently, before she pulled away. She had a light blush on her cheeks. She slipped out of my arms and went over to the bed. She curled up on it, but I could tell she wasn't sleeping any time soon. I sat next to the bed and took her hand. She looked at me, her white eyes seeming larger than normal. I gave her a small smile before pulling the blankets over her. I let go of her hand in order to do so. I leaned against the wall, taking her hand once again.

It took her a few hours before she fell asleep. When she did, she continuously pulled on my arm. I didn't understand what she wanted until she pulled herself on to my lap. She rested her head on my shoulder and drifted back into a deep sleep. I smiled. She just wanted me to hold her. I didn't move, afraid of waking her up. I rested my head on hers and for the first time, drifted into an extremely light sleep.


	16. Staying

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Saahra is staying with her family, the Hyugga's. She finally meets the head of the house, but learns something that breaks her heart.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

_Chapter 16: Staying_

I woke up on Gaara's lap. I blushed horribly, thinking he was going to say something. I looked up to find him dozing lightly. He rested his head against mine when I relaxed it again.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

I blushed more. "Yes," I whispered. "How did…"

"You moved here on your own," he told me, holding me tighter. He stood up, picking me up with him. He set me on my feet next to him. I held onto his shirt, not wanting him to let go of me yet. He didn't though. He pulled me closer to him. I nuzzled my head against his chest.

"Saahra," he whispered. "Today is probably going to very boring for you. I don't want to leave you alone, but I don't want to put you through everything. I have a lot of meetings." He pulled away just so he could look into my eyes. "They're pretty much the boring things. You could probably get Sakura or Sasuke to stay with you. There's—"

I cut him off by kissing him gently. He was cute when he talked more than a sentence. He returned my kiss, pulling me up slightly at my lower back. I slipped my arms around his neck and stood on my tiptoes. He picked me up more and ended up losing balance. He fell backwards. Luckily, he landed on the bed. I fell with him and landed on top. I broke the kiss and blushed. Neither one of us moved for a while. He put a hand on my cheek.

A knock on the door made me jump to my feet. Gaara stood up slowly and went to the door. A short girl with blue-black hair and the same white pupil-less eyes as the rest of the family stood there. She was blushing slightly and was looking at Gaara's feet.

"Hi," she said in a smaller voice than mine. "My-my father wants to speak with Saahra."

A few I sat alone in front a man with the same eyes. He was quiet for a long time. It made me feel uneasy, especially since Gaara couldn't stay with me. I sat on my knees in front of him and fidgeted with my skirt. I was very uneasy.

"It has been decided that you are going to stay here," he said. "You will train with Neji and Hinata to use your Byakugen. You will stay in the same room."

I stared at him for a minute, processing what he had just said. "But…" I started, but then looked down.

"You are a Hyuuga," he said. "You will live with your family. You are dismissed."

I stood and left the room. Gaara was in a meeting with Naruto. I went to his room and sat on the bed. Sakura-san was there, waiting for me.

"Saahra," she said, coming to me at the door, "what's wrong?" I must have looked sad for her to ask me that.

"I… have to stay here," I whispered.

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?" Sakura-san said, trying to cheer me up. "You have a family now."

"I can't go back with Gaara. I might as well never see him again." I buried my face in my hands and cried. I wanted to stay with Gaara. I didn't want to stay here in a place where I'd be unhappy.

It was later in the evening when Gaara returned. I was sitting on his bed, hugging my knees. I felt distant from the world. I barely noticed him sit next to me and hold me. My face was dry from crying earlier in the day.

"Saahra, what happened?" he asked distantly. I felt his hand on my cheek and then saw his face.

I came "back to Earth" and felt tears in my eyes. "I… can't go back with you," I whispered. "I have to stay here."


	17. Temporary Departure

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: The Hyuuga head wants to separate Gaara and Saahra. He is making Saahra stay behind to train. What will Gaara do?

Rating:

Genre: Romance/Drama

_Chapter 17: Temporary Departure_

I was stunned at what she said. It took me a moment to regain myself. I hid my eyes in my bags. "H-how long?" I asked. My voice cracked at the beginning of my question.

"He didn't tell me," she said. Her voice was smaller than when she was normally alone with me. She sounded sad and scared. Her cheeks were stained with dry tears. "It might be forever."

I held her tighter, but I couldn't say anything. I didn't want to leave without her, but… She had an obligation to her family. "You should then," I said, though it hurt.

She gave me a hurt look and then wrapped her arms around my neck. "I don't want you to leave me here," she whispered. "They all hate me here."

"You'll get along with Hinata-sama," I said. "There's also Sakura here." I rubbed her back lightly.

"Don't leave me here," she pleaded. Her voice was shaky and I could tell she was crying. "I don't want to be away from you."

"You have to get stronger," I said. "I can't help you with that. They can." I didn't want to her to stay, either, but I didn't have much say in Konoha. I pulled her closer. "I don't want you to stay." I had to say it. I knew that if she didn't hear it, she might think I wanted her to stay. "I want to stay like this forever."

She sat up a little to look at me. She was looking for an excuse for me not to leave, but she didn't find any. She rested her forehead against mine. She closed her eyes. I kissed her lightly. She started to return it when someone knocked on the door with dinner. I let her go to let the person in with dinner. I took it from the person so she could go and set it next to the bed. Saahra had returned to hugging her knees. I sat on the edge of the bed, not sure if she wanted me to go near her.

"When are you leaving?" she asked me. It was a little muffled.

"Tomorrow," I said. It hurt to even think it. I clutched at my chest and my eyes were watering.

She was next to me when I looked up. She looked very worried. "Gaara," she said. The worry was more in her voice. I forced myself to smile. She hugged me, knocking me down onto my back. She was on top of me. I kissed her, holding her to me.

The next day, we stood at the village gates. Saahra had her arms around my neck and was crying into my chest. I held her tightly. Neither one of us wanted to move. Sakura-san pulled her away from me and Kankurou led me away. I looked back at the village after we were a while away. I could faintly see the gates still open and a few people were standing there. I turned away and felt my heart grow cold again.


	18. RescueEscape

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Neji overhears some disturbing news and takes action.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

_Chapter 18: Escape/Rescue_

Saahra had been living with us in the Hyuuga house for five years. She had learned how to use her Byakugen and had mastered the gentle fist. She had grown, too. She was well busted and drove a lot of boys crazy. She wouldn't leave her room unless to train. She and Hinata got along well, but she never talked much.

I was walking along a hall in the house when I heard a conversation between my uncle and his father.

"She can't be a member of the head family any longer," my grandfather said.

"I agree," my uncle replied. "We'll administer the seal tomorrow."

I froze. I know what it's like to have the seal. I wasn't prepared to let someone else have it carved on her forehead. Plus, Naruto had made the seal illegal for future generations unless going into deadly battle. I didn't waste any time. I went to the Hokage's building and knocked on Naruto's door.

"Come in," I heard him say on the other side. I entered into the room. "Ah, Neji, how are you?"

"Hokage-sama," I said, very seriously so he knew I wasn't here for friendly chat. "I've heard something very disturbing."

He frowned. "Does it have to do with Saahra?"

"My uncle and grandfather plan on giving her the seal," I said.

He sighed. "This is bad," he said. "They know that it's forbidden, right? However, I'm afraid if she stays here any longer we might lose her to a mind if she stays away from Gaara any longer."

I took his hint as he gave a smirk. "I'll make sure she doesn't lose her mind, then," I said.

"Take Ten-Ten and Lee with you," he said. "Leave tonight." He went back to some papers. I bowed and left in search of my companions.

"What's going on?" Ten-Ten asked me.

"The head of my family are planning on giving Saahra the seal," I explained. "We're going to sneak her out tonight and take her to the Hidden Sand. Be prepared at nightfall."


	19. Reunion of Love

**Gaara's Love**

Summary: Saahra is taken from Konoha. She doesn't know where she's going.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Drama

_Chapter 19: Reunion of Love_

I hadn't seen Gaara in five years. It was tearing my heart apart. We wrote to each other, secretly. Naruto sent my letters to him and gave me letters from him. The head of the family didn't want us to have anything to do with each other because of our family. I cried every night. I hadn't fallen asleep. There was a knock on my window. I tried to ignore it at first, but it just went faster. I went to it and opened the window. Neji was kneeling underneath it.

"Grab your things," he whispered. "We're leaving."

I blinked and wiped my face. "Where are we going?"

"I'll explain to you once we get out of the town," he whispered, looking around. "Hurry."

I turned and packed all the letters from Gaara into a bag along with some clothes. I jumped out the window and followed him out of the Hyuuga estate. His two companions were waiting at the gates to Konoha. I didn't remember their names. One was a girl with two buns and the other had large eyes and fuzzy eyebrows. We left the village without a sound. Once we were out of site of the main gates, we stopped.

"Saahra," Neji said. "The head of the family wanted to put a seal on you that has been forbidden by Hokage, by Naruto."

"Seal?" I asked, confused.

He took off his headband to reveal a green seal on his forehead. It was two lines surrounding a small 'x.' "This is the seal that Naruto banned. The head of the family doesn't know that you are leaving so we must hurry."

"If he doesn't know, aren't you going to get into trouble?" I asked. I didn't mind leaving, but I didn't want anyone getting into trouble.

"We're under direct orders from Naruto," the fuzzy eyebrows said. He winked and gave me a thumb's up. "You're safe with us."

"Where are we going?" I asked, curiously.

They just smiled at me, not telling me. The next three days before we reached our destination, I continuously asked where we were going. They kept insisting that it was a surprise. On the third day, we came in sight of the Hidden Village of the Sand. I froze. I was sure to be excited or devastated.

Gaara lay in the village ahead of me, but he had always been cold in his letters. He said that he had stopped crying over me. I had gotten a letter from Temari the week before saying that he had grown cold again and was getting cruel. I was afraid. I didn't want him to be cruel to me.

"Are you okay?" Neji asked, not turning to me. I knew he could see me. It was a family trait.

Everyone else had stopped and was looking at me. I sighed. "I… don't know if I want to continue…" I whispered.

"Gaara will be happy to see you," Fuzzy Eyebrows said, grinning. "I promise you!" He held out a thumb's up.

I smiled. The girl, who I had learned was named Ten-Ten, came up to me and pushed me forward a little. "Let's go," she said.

We all walked to the village. I stayed at the rear of our procession. We were greeted by Temari and Kankurou. I didn't really look at them. I was afraid that Gaara would be mad at me.

"Saahra." Temari came up to me. "Gaara wanted to meet you alone," she said. "He's asked me to take you to where he is."

I felt my face grow warm. She led me to where his room was, though I was a little hesitant to even go near it.

"He's waiting," Temari said, softly. "It's your choice to go in or not." She walked away.

I stood outside the door for several minutes before knocking.

"Come in," Gaara's voice said on the other side.

I opened the door and stepped in. Gaara was sitting on his bed like he normally did. I closed the door behind me. I sat on my knees next to the bed, still a little afraid. He was looking out of the window.

"I haven't seen you in five years," he said. "You've really changed. You used to be unafraid to hug me. You would always smile. Now, you sit there like everyone else does. You're afraid of me."

I fidgeted with my skirt like I had when I had met the head of the Hyuuga family. "Temari told me you had gone back to being cold and distant from everyone," I whispered. "I admit that I'm scared. I missed you so much. You told me that you stopped wanting to see me three years ago. It only made me cry harder." I felt my eyes water. "I'm afraid that you're going to fulfill your nightmares." I buried my face in my hands and cried.

I didn't hear him move or even used my Byakugen to see him moved. I felt his arms around me and he held me close. He wasn't as warm as he was before.

"I don't know what happened to me," he said. "I know that when I turned my back on Konoha five years ago, I was afraid I would never see you again. I got an emergency letter from Naruto yesterday explaining what was going on." He pulled away and lifted my chin. "Stop crying, Saahra. You're back and you can stay as long as you want."

I jumped up slightly and hugged him. I knocked him over and landed on him. I didn't care. He wasn't as cold as everyone thought. "I love you so much," I said. "I'm going to stay forever. I don't want to ever leave again." I looked in his eyes and smiled. He pulled me close and kissed me.


End file.
